People come in all shapes and sizes. Being a certain shape or size is not necessarily a sign of well-being and most definitely doesn’t define who you are as a person, but in this age of relentless social media and advertising it can be increasingly hard to maintain a positive body image. We are constantly bombarded with images and messages trying to persuade us to change our bodies and aspire to be someone different, always telling us that we are not enough.

Have you finally decided it’s time to love being the fabulous person you already are? Here at Peachylean HQ we definitely have and we want to share some of the tips we have found helpful.

How to break the rules of beauty.

Accept your body and all that comes with it.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" Oscar Wilde once said and we couldn’t agree more. What you see as a flaw in yourself could be the very thing that your family and friends absolutely love about you! Who wants a “perfect” face and body anyway? Your body tells the story of your life, the experiences you’ve had, the good times and the bad times which have made you who you are today. Be proud of that person and the body that’s brought them to where they are today. Give them the love they deserve. 

Try making a list of everything you like about yourself on a piece of paper. It might seem odd at first but don’t be shy. It doesn’t have to be about your appearance, it can be about your personality and achievements too. Put this list somewhere safe and remind yourself that you are the best ‘you’ that there is and add to this list whenever you can. Always remember that you are enough and you are doing the best you can.

Redefine what beauty means to you.

The word beauty can have different meanings to different people. For us, true beauty radiates from within. Happiness, kindness and confidence are some of the most beautiful qualities a person can possess. Without these, the most “beautiful” face and the most “perfect” body are nothing.

Our individual unique beauty is what distinguishes us from others. Once you redefine what beauty means to you, it will be a lot easier to break the beauty standards imposed by society. You will feel more confident about yourself and know that how you look has nothing to do with your value as a person. You are unique and beautiful exactly as you are.

Find something that makes you happy and take the time to do it regularly

Did you love playing tennis as a child? Does singing in the shower fill your heart with joy? Then get out on the court or join your local choir. When you are happy on the inside, that beautiful happy glow on the outside will follow.

In our busy and stressful lives we can sometimes forget to prioritise doing the things which bring us happiness. While our families, our work and our responsibilities are very important to us, always remember that having time for ourselves is too! So whether it’s yoga or mindfulness that floats our boat, going for a walk with a friend, or abseiling down a cliff with the wind in our hair; whatever it is, we should get out and do it. We'll never regret spending time doing something that makes us feel happy and fulfilled.

 Practice non-judgement. You do you, Boo.

When we judge, it often comes from a need to protect ourselves from something different or unfamiliar. As we all know deep down,  judging often says more about ourselves than about others. If we can free ourselves from our own judgement, it will be so much easier to accept paths, choices, and interests that differ from our own. There is room for us all, imagine how uninspiring it would it be if we were all the same? 

So how do we get away from negative self-judgment? If we can find the source of our unhappiness we can take the first step towards regaining control of our lives. This isn’t always easy but small things we can do to help us on our journey are being kind and compassionate to ourselves. Start by asking yourself are there some small changes I can put in place to help me towards my goal of feeling better about myself? Asking ourselves these questions can help us to take responsibility for our own happiness. Practice self-care. Am I eating a well-balanced diet? Am I taking time to move my body? Eating well, exercising, taking time for ourselves, whether it’s reading a book or reorganising our Peachylean’s are all things that can become part of our self-care routine and will help us to learn to accept ourselves exactly as we are.

 Move for your mind, train for your brain.

Move for your mind, train for your brain. We should exercise because we love our body, not to punish it! When we exercise, signals are sent to our brains to release endorphins, aka happy hormones. They give us a boost of energy and a feeling of well-being. Do you ever notice that you always feel a little more energised or refreshed after exercising? That’s down to our endorphins… It’s true when they say we never hear of somebody regretting a workout, so we should try not to skip that gym session or that walk with the girls later, we'll thank ourselves afterwards.  

If the thought of the gym terrifies you then fear not! We don’t need to train for a marathon to be active, we just need to increase our heart rate for a few minutes each day. Why not take a morning walk in our neighbourhood or have a little bop around the kitchen while we cook our dinner; we can take the stairs instead of the lift, anything that gets us moving! 

We hope our tips on accepting yourself and redefining your own standards of beauty have been helpful. Now it's time to put them to use and allow yourself to finally accept yourself! Slow progress is better than no progress and nothing is too small, so we encourage you to just make a start.

We’d love to hear some of your tips. Maybe you could share your story of how you’ve smashed the self-loathing with us in the comments below? You never know who you might inspire in this wonderful Peachylean community.

Our collection of leggings and sports bras are designed to fit all body types to help women feel supported and comfy in their skin, so they can stop focusing on the horizon and start enjoying the journey.